


Love's Journey

by pinkdiamonds



Series: The Journey Series [2]
Category: Stargate - All Series, Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Alternate Universe, Drama, Established Relationship, M/M, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-02-14
Updated: 2012-02-14
Packaged: 2017-10-31 04:18:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,855
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/339802
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pinkdiamonds/pseuds/pinkdiamonds
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>John finds some unusual tech. A prequel to If You Should Close Your Eyes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Love's Journey

### Come dress yourself in love, let the journey begin. Francesca da Rinni

Panting, John made his way to the Western arm of the city. He had been bored with the route he’d been running for the last six months and was scouting out a new one. Well before he approached the outer edge of the densely clustered buildings, he felt a small tug in his mind. He looped around the buildings until the small tug became insistent. Without thought, John followed the slender thread in his mind to see where it led.

~*~

John continued running, his instincts leading him to an elegantly sleek twenty-story building. He stopped to admire the abstract stained glass window above the entrance. Atlantis was filled with stained glass, sometimes in unexpected places, but he hadn’t seen any glass quite as intricate as this. The blues, greens, reds, and yellows were bright and vibrant, throwing rainbows onto surrounding areas.

Entering the building, John glanced around at the generous vestibule. It was well lit and virtually empty and John spared no time for even a cursory search. Whatever tech was lying around would not be found here. 

Without thought, he found the transporter and pushed the button for the top floor. He exited the transporter and was confronted with wide, double doors which opened easily. The tug in John’s mind now felt more like a scream and he never hesitated as he entered one of the closed doors.

Stepping into the room, John drew in a sharp breath as he slowly turned taking it all in. John thought Atlantis was beautiful, but he’d yet to see anything like this room. Exotic flowers of various sizes and bright, vibrant colors, their centers sparkling with gems, surrounded him. They were full and lush, almost erotic. He’d seen a number of Georgia O’Keeffe’s flowers and as lush and sensuous as her work was, it paled before the walls in this room.

The room was filled with furniture and items were carefully and artfully placed on top of the surfaces. John knew if he opened the drawers and closets he would find clothing and other personal items. Figuring he could always come back to explore, his hand went unerringly to a square stone box.

The box was decorated with flowers and it was apparent that whoever had painted the walls had designed the box as well. John opened the box and saw nearly two dozen gold coin-like objects, threaded through with deep blue and green tendrils. He shook the box gently, moving the objects around with his index finger. 

John felt compelled to touch the discs, but there was one that he had an overwhelming desire to hold. When he grasped it, he could hear it humming happily in his mind.

~*~

John gripped the disc tightly, feeling the usual energy he associated with all Ancient tech slam throughout his body. It wasn’t unpleasant - - just noticeable. Every device he’d ever touched had an energy signal that was different in length and intensity. Sometimes John could brace himself for it, and he didn’t always get it right. Since he’d felt the tug from these rather pretty discs from nearly a mile away, John had known that whatever they were, he’d be feeling a significant surge of energy and he wasn’t wrong. 

For a moment or two, nothing happened. Then, he felt a brief invasion of his mind, too fast to truly understand what was happening until it was over. He heard a whisper, like the last part of an echo, although the few words he was able to understand made no sense. The disc nicked at the fleshy part of his palm drawing blood and burned cold in his hand, and he was suddenly overcome with vertigo. 

John fell to his knees, his stomach rebelling as he became violently nauseous. 

~*~

John didn’t see the walls of the room shimmering and disappearing as he battled to keep himself from vomiting. He was still on his knees when he opened his eyes, the nausea gone as quickly as it had come. John’s eyes widened as he took in his surroundings.

He was near the edge of a dense strand of what looked like oak trees that opened onto an overgrown field. He could hear a rush of moving water from nearby, and the air was as pure as he’d come to expect from most of the planets in the Pegasus galaxy. It was warm, but not warm enough to break a sweat.

John stood and moved carefully into the clearing, hyperaware of his surroundings and all senses on alert. He didn’t have a weapon and was in no mood to defend himself should he encounter trouble. The sun, at its zenith, beat down into a cloudless blue sky. John’s small movements had startled a flock of birds that wheeled noisily into the air.

John breathed deeply and could smell wood smoke and the scent of roasting meat. He turned until he could see where the smoke was coming from, satisfied when it appeared it was some distance away. He couldn’t hear or sense any people close by and he relaxed a little bit. He was unsure what was going on, but no longer felt threatened that someone was near enough to attack him. This place felt empty.

Deciding to explore his surroundings, John jogged over to the sound of water, unsurprised when he came to a large flowing river, reddish palisades visible on the other side. There was still no indication of habitation despite the scent of roasting meat, and the desolation of this place was beginning to make John uncomfortable. He’d rarely visited a world in which the inhabitants weren’t eager to greet newcomers, either for trade or their own twisted purposes. Of course, he hadn’t arrived in the usual manner and it was likely no one even knew he was here. 

In an effort to figure out where he was, John searched the vista for a Stargate, but was unable to find it, or any path that might lead to it. There was nothing more to see other than trees, and the river that stretched for miles in either direction. As there were no obvious signs of life other than the smoke, birds, and insects, John returned to the start of the tree line and gripped the disc tightly, bracing himself for a second bout of nausea, thinking home at it. The scene shimmered briefly, before solidifying. There was no accompanying nausea, for which he was grateful.

He hadn’t moved but it seemed that the trees had thinned out somewhat. Instead of an empty field, John was now staring at a large home and several outbuildings. The home reminded him of plantations that still dotted the Southern part of the Untied States, both in scope and style. It served to relax him as he considered what purpose the disc like device he still held had been used for. He was almost certain it was a virtual reality created from his own memories. They’d never come across any architecture that was similar in any way to that of Earth. Knowing he hadn’t really left Atlantis allowed him to enjoy the results of what the tech had selected from his mind. 

It was actually pretty cool, and John couldn’t wait to explore this place with his lover as he thought about plump feather mattresses and cool glasses of iced tea. Lost in thoughts of the good times that might be found in this virtual environment, and thinking of other, more exotic locales, John was badly startled by a childish voice laughing in delight.

Couching down behind a tree before he could consider just how ridiculous that was in a virtual environment, John quickly located the source of the laughter. A small scrawny boy was skipping between a man in an old fashioned suit and an older woman in a serviceable navy gown holding a child of no more than a year old. The man bore an uncanny resemblance to himself, and the skipping boy in knickers could easily have passed as his son. The woman was attractive, but older, and her clothing was not of the same quality as the man or the children.

The small group of people walked to the house, entering it as though they belonged. John ran his hands through his hair, puzzled. He couldn’t understand why, if this were a custom virtual reality taken from his mind, a doppelganger of himself would be involved. The only thing that made any sort of sense to him was that what he was viewing was a trial period to show users what was possible.

If that were the case, he was certainly intrigued, although children would not be included in any VR scenario that would appeal to him as entertainment. With that thought in mind, he gripped the disc tightly and thought of Rodney, hoping he would be able view something that included his lover and was somewhat more recreational.

Amused with this new toy, he watched as the scene in front of him shimmered and disappeared for the briefest span of time. A new scene, similar to the one he’d just left appeared.

He was still in the tree line, hidden from the people he was observing. It looked as though some time had passed. The back part of the house was now fully landscaped and a small patio had been added. A stonewall had been built and extended as far as his eye could see and surrounded both the front and back of the house. 

The woman he had seen only moments ago was there, this time clad in a fancy lavender dress that was far more flattering than the severe and plain navy of the last scene. His double was there as well, along with a double of Rodney, but there was no trace of children. The three people sat around a table, laughing. It was impossible to hear their conversation, but he could see them clearly.

The John drinking from an oversize mug seemed older, as did the woman. It was impossible to tell how much older, but he could see a sprinkling of white in his double’s hair, stark and clearly visible set against the darkness. Rodney’s double was also older than the man he had left sleeping peacefully in their bed an hour ago, at least based on his hairline. 

John chuckled softly thinking that the receding hairline of Rodney’s virtual reality counterpart would be something to tease his lover with when they played with this tech together. He hunkered down to watch for a bit longer, interested to see what would happen next.

~*~

Rodney forked the last bit of egg and fried ham into his mouth, chewing with relish. Sabina didn’t often cook anymore, but Birdie had the day off, and although she might be an excellent cook, she was nowhere near as good as Sabina. “You are a goddess in the kitchen, Sabina,” he said.

This was an old joke between them, but it never failed to make her smile. “Yes, I am,” she agreed.

“I was thinking that when the boys get back from their grandparents, we could go to Coney Island for a week. What do you say, Sabina?” John asked.

Before she could answer, Rodney jumped in. “That’s a great idea. Maybe we could spend a few days in Manhattan also.”

Sabina, who no longer pretended to be anything other than John’s aunt thought of the freedom of bathing in the sea and readily agreed. “That’s a wonderful idea. And a few days in Manhattan will give me a chance to buy some dresses for Birdie. I’m sick of that brown dress she insists is proper for her station.”

“I’ll make the arrangements this week,” John informed them. 

“Will you be going to the post office today?” Rodney inquired. “I have a letter for the boys,” he said. 

“I wasn’t planning on it, but if you have a letter . . .” he trailed off in a teasing voice. It was a family joke that when Patrick and James were visiting with their grandparents, it was Rodney who wrote to them daily. The boys would never admit it, but they both looked forward to his chatty letters, and the logic puzzles he included in them.

Rodney reached for the coffeepot, disappointed to find it empty. Sabina laughed at his chagrined expression, grabbing the pot to go make another.

She walked into to the house, and quickly put up the coffee her mind busy with other things. As she waited for it to perk, she happened to glance out the window. She saw movement out of the corner of her eye and peeked her head out of the side door. Toward the back of the tree line, well out of sight of anyone sitting in the backyard and yards away from the side door, she saw a man crouching.

Sabina might be getting on in years, but her eyesight was as sharp as ever. The man shifted slightly and she gasped softly in surprise. She had been let in on the secret of where Rodney had come from and knew damn well she was looking at Colonel John Sheppard. Rodney had told her that the John Sheppard he had once known looked very like her nephew, but she would never have believed the likeness was so close.

She went back inside, careful not to let the door make any noise. She took the coffee out to the two men. Rodney was off on a rant, while John looked at him fondly, a small grin on his face. She cast loving eyes over both of them., not interrupting, and went back inside fully intent on protecting what was hers.

Using the skills from her past that she had never forgotten, Sabina snuck soundlessly through the trees, coming up behind the man crouching and watching John and Rodney. “Go home, Colonel Sheppard. You’re not welcome here,” she said, her voice icy cold.

Startled, John fell backwards on his ass. He looked up to see the small woman looming over him, embarrassed at being caught out by a woman in a cumbersome dress. Even if this was virtual reality, and the woman not real, John couldn’t stop the blush that stained his cheeks.

“Uh, okay?” he said.

He scrambled to his feet clumsily, towering over the petite woman, who stood tapping one small foot. “Well, go on,” she shooed him away. 

Not bothering to contain his laughter, John started toward the road, turning every so often until the woman was out of sight. Rodney would now have something to tease him back with; a VR character who couldn’t stand him.

John gripped the disc tightly and thought of Atlantis, accustomed after his previous trips to the shimmering scenery. When he saw the painted walls of the apartment, John grinned. He put the disc at the bottom of the box thinking of how much Rodney would love ‘discovering’ them. 

He never thought to report the room or anything else he’d found to anyone. John had always felt proprietary toward Atlantis and this was no different. There was nothing here that would help fight the Wraith so he felt justified in keeping it to himself for the moment. He’d let Rodney find the VR tech, and then the social scientists could have at it.

John had absorbed much of his lover’s attitude toward the soft sciences, and he figured they could wait. From the moment he’d stepped foot on Atlantis, he had felt the right to make these sorts of decisions. Atlantis belonged to him and Rodney far more than anyone else. The few times O’Neill had visited, John could see he felt the same, but the General was on Earth, and until Daniel could talk him into coming, Atlantis was his.

John had a last look around wanting Rodney to find the room exactly as he had. On his run back to his quarters, he decided the tone to take with his lover to persuade him out to the Western part of the city to explore. He didn’t want his lover to suspect he’d already found something fun to play with, and he knew the right mix of offhand casualness and excitement would be the most likely way to interest the scientist.

Rodney was reading email when John got back. John bent over him, running his tongue over the back of his neck. “I’m all sweaty,” he mentioned in case Rodney had missed it.

Shivering, Rodney said, “I know, but I’m busy.”

“Come on, Rodney. You know you can’t resist me when I’m all sweaty.”

Rodney rose, taking John in his arms and kissing him slow and sweet. “I hate it when you’re right,” Rodney complained, backing John toward the inviting bed. 

As Rodney lowered him to the bed, John heard the echoing words once again in his mind, “Seeker of lost love.” He ignored them and gave himself up to the pleasure of Rodney’s greedy hands and wet mouth, drowning in the feel and the scent and the touch of his lover. 

The End


End file.
